My Mission For You:

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

This is an article I wrote about my nephews and how
children can inspire our writing. It was published in The Florida Writer by the
Florida Writers Association in 2012, and I wanted to share it with you now.

Writing about my Nephews

by

Chrys Fey

Children are a great source of inspiration for writers
with their funny statements, fresh outlook on life, and untarnished
personalities. I am blessed to have two great little boys in my life, my
nephews, who give me sparks of inspiration all the time. They have been a big
part of my life ever since their births.

When I was rewriting the first book of my
supernatural-thriller series back in 2007, I incorporated a special character
who had not existed in the original copy. This character was not a stunning
woman or a handsome man, but a child based after my oldest nephew, Mello. At
the time, he had only been one year old. Today, he is seven.

I loved including someone very close to my heart into my
story. His role was small, only coming into the book at the very end, but his
impact with his chubby cheeks and cute, childish attitude made him a permanent
fixture. He returned in the second book for another small scene, but one that I
had taken from my own life. There had been many times when I had fed him dinner
and gave him small slices of hot dogs and green beans to eat in his highchair,
and I always loved how he would curl his tiny fist around a green bean. That
little act made its way into my book.

Although he only claimed two sentences in that story his
role is significantly larger in the fourth and last book in my series. He is
still a toddler in my story, which makes it even more fun to write because I
get to look back on my cherished memories of him and immortalize them in words.

My younger nephew, Carmello, is six years old. (He
actually just had his birthday last month.) When he was just a newborn baby, I
took care of him every day. Unlike his brother, who had been a quiet and calm
baby, Carmello was a loud and dramatic baby. Back then, I was young myself and
extremely overwhelmed. I was just the aunt, but I felt as though I was going
through postpartum depression.

I remember crying in my room one day, unable to hold back
the tears that I had kept bottled up for days. I couldn’t understand how I had
gotten to that point -I hadn’t had the baby, my sister did- but being a
caregiver to my infant nephew, who demanded so much more attention than I was
used to, threw me into the role of motherhood prematurely. I was sitting at my
desk, my head down on the smooth brown surface, the same desk I am sitting at
right now, and an idea came to me in the midst of the heavy downpour of tears.
The idea was a story about a girl who becomes pregnant young and has a baby
boy. That baby boy was my nephew, Carmello. And I started writing it immediately.

Unfortunately, I have not written as much on this story
as with other works. When I do write more, I plan to use many memories I have
with Carmello when he was a baby, like walking back and forth in my small
apartment with him in my arms while bouncing slightly in an attempt to calm him
down and end his nonstop wails.

I love my nephews with all my heart and every day I
became even more proud of them. They may be brothers, but they are completely
different and this fact only intensifies my love for both of them. Mello is
tall and Carmello is short. Mello’s skin tone is darker while Carmello’s is
lighter, and all of their facial features are opposite from each other’s. Even
their likes and personalities are different. Mello hates vegetables, but
Carmello loves them. Mello can be wildly obnoxious and Carmello can be sweetly
calm. Obviously, they swapped positions from when they were babies.

As we all know, children say the darndest things.
Whenever I am around my nephews, I make sure I have paper and pen to write down
the crazy things that come out of their mouths in case I can use them in my
future writings. Here are some interesting things that my nephews have said
that I thought were pure genius:

“Everyone has
hearts, except houses . . . We also have roots; they keep our hearts in place.”

“The moon has
stinkies around it!” Carmello said this one night after he saw the moon in the
dark sky and referred to the thin clouds around it as evidence that the moon
had gas.

And here is a conversation I once overheard the two of
them having:

Carmello: “Stay out of my business!”

Mello: “You don’t have any business.”

Carmello: “I have some business!”

My nephews have clearly impacted my writing from the time
they were babies, and now that they are older I can visualize writing a story
about two brothers just like them, because their differences as brothers just
makes their relationship that much more special.

I look forward to seeing them grow into young men and I
am sure they will keep on inspiring me even then.

Mello and Carmello

QUESTIONS: Has a child inspired your writing? What is the
funniest thing you’ve heard a child say?

I will be back in 2014 with more posts to help and
inspire writers. :)

“All the buzz [Chrys] give[s] about preparing
for release days, writing blurb and other tips on writing always infuses within
me more excitement for the writing I do.” –Jeffrey
Scott, blogger/writer

“I'm really enjoying [Chrys’s] how-to posts,
because it makes me think about my own strategies and how I can work on them!”
–Claudine
Gueh Yanting, author of My Clearest Me

“Love [Chrys’s] blog - good place to come for
an inspirational push!” –Carole Apple,
blogger

Dear Aspiring Writer,

This is a collection of links from my blog that
could aid you in the process of writing your first novel. If you're
looking for specific help on certain scenes or characters, check out the lists
on myWriting
Aboutpage.

For help on publishing and marketing, please see myPublishing 101page.

Enjoy!

Character Development:

Bring
Characters to Life You will find a neat little project that you can
do, as well as reminders of things you will have to consider while creating
your characters.

Characters
Make a Book When you’re creating your characters, especially your main
character, you will have to think beyond their appearances. This blog will help
you to create three-dimensional characters.

Protagonist
VS. Antagonist The tips in this post will help you to develop a
protagonist that your readers can root for and an antagonist that your readers
can despise.

Get
Ready, Set, TONE! is about creating a successful setting and tone for
the story you are writing. This post was a lot of fun for me to write because I
got to write a short little teaser to illustrate how to use setting and tone to
make a story stand out.

Creating
Mood In the beginning of this post, I included a special sneak peek
into the first book of my series. I also talk about “A Child Called It” by Dave
Pelzer, an excellent example of mood.

Write With
Gaga is about writing style. What is writing style? How can you create
one? This post answers both those questions.

Stella turned around and ran back to him on tip-toe, her
finger pressed to her lips.

“Shhh,” she said. “I told you Josiah wasn’t to know I
asked you for that.”

“I’m sorry,” Christopher whispered. “I forgot.”

He stood up from the hay and retrieved the newspaper from
his makeshift bed. “For you, Madam,” he said as he handed the paper to Stella
with an exaggerated bow.

Stella giggled as she took the paper in her hands. “Thank
you, kind sir.”

She sat back down on the bale of hay and motioned for
Christopher to join her.

“Did you read any of it?” she asked.

“I can’t read,” he said. “I was too busy working and
helping my mam pay the rent to ever learn.”

Stella turned to him, the light of the lantern dancing in
her green eyes. “I could teach you to read,” she said. “It’s not hard. And
you’d love it. I know you would.”

As Christopher stared down at her the last thing he cared
about was learning to read. All he wanted was to kiss her. He leaned towards
her before stopping and scolding himself inwardly. She was a married woman.
And, no matter what he thought of Josiah Winslow, he was a guest in the man’s
home. His mother would have been ashamed of him.

“I was thinking about a story Mrs. Luce told me about at
the apothecary,” he said.

“About a doctor there in Boston who took his own life.”

“Oh my goodness,” Stella said. “How terrible.”

“Indeed.”

Stella ran her fingers over the newsprint before folding
the paper in her hands. “I shall read all about it tomorrow when Josiah goes to
visit his patients,” she said.

She got up from the bale of hay once more and walked to
the door of the barn.

“Good night, Mr. Casey,” she said, turning back to face
him.

“And good night to you, Mrs. Winslow.”

Christopher watched Stella scurry out of the barn and lay
back into his bed of hay. He bunched the heavy blankets Stella had already
provided around him and gingerly pulled his still throbbing arm closer to his
chest.

He thought of Stella getting into her bed inside the
house and wondered what that bed and bedroom looked like. He felt a stirring in
his groin as he imagined what it would be like to lay beside her. To run his
hands through her thick auburn hair and press his lips against her own. To slip
her nightdress from her shoulders and take her small body into his arms. He
knew it would be heaven.

But it was another man’s heaven, and one he couldn’t possibly
have for himself. His face burned with both desire and shame as he scolded
himself for coveting another man’s wife. He closed his eyes, but sleep refused
to come to him. He couldn’t stop thinking about Stella.

BIO:

Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer in
Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a life-long love affair with the ocean and has spent
more summer vacations than she can count on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
When not writing, Julie can be found playing with her pets, reading, cheering
on her favorite sports teams, and watching too much television. The Ghosts of
Aquinnah is Julie’s second novel. Her debut novel Polar Night was released in
February, 2013 by Ink Smith Publishing.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Today I am pleased to have the wonderful Terri Rochenski on my blog for her latest book, Alone No More. I hosted her for a cover reveal a couple of months ago and I am delighted to have her back. When I first read about Alone No More I became interested in the hero, James Elliot, and wanted to know more about him, so when I signed up for a character interview I of course chose him to be the focus.

Character Interview of James Elliot:

Tell us a little about yourself.

Orphaned at the age of seven, my sister and I went to
live with our uncle in a tiny village near Birmingham. While my sister was
fawned over, I labored on the farm. Once I was of age, I left for a season to
learn new techniques for crop rotations and such things. Although my uncle
doesn’t care for me, I will inherit all he has, and I plan on making the land
prosperous upon my return.

Tell us about your greatest accomplishment.

I have plans to accomplish a great deal, but to this
point all I can feel proud of is standing up to my uncle and insisting I leave
Birmingham to gain experience and knowledge about farming.

What is the worst thing you’ve ever done?

Uncle didn’t believe in raising a hand to his fellow man,
and told me it was a sin to do so, but one time I deemed it necessary. I
suppose I’ll answer for it someday, but the man sorely deserved a broken nose.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I suppose it might happen for some, but I’ve been alone
my whole life and doubt I will ever be so lucky.

Describe your ideal woman.

Sweet. Sensitive. Compassionate. Perhaps a young lady a
bit lonely like me, one who will give thanks every day for having found a life
partner.

Dismissed from her job as a scullery maid and cast aside
by her lover, pregnant Cara Morland has no choice but to return to her father’s
farm. While lies of widowhood keep her from disgrace, Cara is faced with a
local landowner’s unwanted attentions. Without the social status to do much
more than avoid the vile man, she loses hope of ever finding happiness.

A friendship based on mutual loneliness blossoms between
Cara and James Elliot, a young farm hand hired by her father. He offers his
protection, and one shared kiss reveals his heart, but propriety and her
feigned grieving period hinders what they both desire.

When Cara’s stalker learns the truth of her
circumstances, he gives her an ultimatum—submit to his possession or he’ll ruin
her second chance at love with James.

Terri started writing stories in the 8th grade, when a
little gnome whispered in her brain. Gundi’s Great Adventure never hit the best
seller list, but it started a long love affair with storytelling.

Today she enjoys an escape to Middle Earth during the
rare ‘me’ moments her three young children allow. When not playing toys,
picking them back up, or kissing boo-boos, she can be found sprawled on the
couch with a book or pencil in hand, and toothpicks propping her eyelids open.

I read Alone No More just in time for Terri's post, so I wanted to add my review for everyone to read. Note: I was not asked by the author to read her book, and my review is 100% honest.

REVIEW:

Alone No More started out sweet and then became amazing.
It was just what I needed. I sympathized with Cara. Her gentleness and youth
made it impossible not to like her and feel sorry for her situation. She was
written so believably well that I could’ve sworn her thoughts and emotions were
my own.

As soon as James Elliot made his appearance I dare say I
was taken by him instantly. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to smell the
scent of cloves in the same way again. ;)

I loved the confrontation between Cara’s stalker and
James. The growing tension for what Mr. Collins would try next kept me glued to
my seat. My jaw literally dropped once, my heart breaking for Cara. And I was
biting my nails during the climax.

Alone No More is a great read full of emotion,
real-to-life suspense, and old-fashioned romance. I didn’t hesitate to give it
5 stars, and it became a favorite before I even finished reading. Highly
recommended! Ladies, you have to read this one!

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

“Should I kill off my protagonist?” This is a question
that many aspiring writers ask themselves and sometimes they can’t decide
whether they should or not.

Is it bad to kill off your protagonist? Not necessarily,
but it isn’t good either. Killing off your protagonist is most often seen as a
cruel thing for a writer to do. If you make your readers fall in love with your
protagonist, even for just one book, not to mention a whole series, and then
kill them, it’ll sit badly with your readers. They could very well hate you for
it. So killing off your protagonist shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Someone once asked me when it is ever okay to kill off
your protagonist, if at least for shock value. That question and my response
spawned this post . . .

If you’re writing a series, the right time to let an
antagonist win is when you don’t want to continue it anymore. Killing off the
protagonist is an effective way to bring the series to a close. It is also a
very drastic option to choose. There are other ways to end a book or series if
you no longer wish to write about that protagonist anymore, especially if
you’re not sure if killing off your protagonist is okay.

One option is a “happily ever after” ending that I was
talking about in my previous post. Why not let your protagonist live and live
happily instead? This type of ending may not be shocking, but it’ll serve its
purpose. Another option is to let the antagonist win in whatever way fits your story, but at the same time you let your protagonist keep his/her life.

Yup, I am the artist for the amazing piece! :P

If you don’t plan to write a sequel and are going for
shock value then letting the antagonist win will do the job perfectly. There is
nothing more shocking then when a much-loved protagonist is killed by the evil
bastard who has been out to get him/her during the course of the
book. It all depends on the writer though
and the story you are telling. If you don’t care for “happily ever afters” and
want to end your book like ripping off a band aid then this tactic is the one
for you.

Before you kill of
your protagonist though you need to make sure it makes sense to the story line.
You can't just kill off a character for shock value. There has to be a reason
for it. If your story calls for the death of the protagonist, if there is no
other logical way to end your story, then do it.

In the end, the decision to kill off your protagonist is yours to make. Think on it for a while and then stand by your choice.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Today I have Juli D. Revezzo on my blog for her mystically beautiful tale, Passion's Sacred Dance. Let me introduce her so she can give you all the wonderful details. Welcome, Juli!

Thanks for having me here today, Chrys. My new book, Passion’s Sacred Dance is my debut
release with The Wild Rose Press. It’s a paranormal romance set in the coldest
winter Florida’s ever seen. My heroine, Stacy Macken, knows something’s amiss,
could it be that the story her family has told for generations is true? Is the
destruction of the world, at the hands of the evil god Balor nigh?

She’s
waited all these years, hoping her dashing hero might show up. But this? To
gain him while the world hangs in the balance? I don’t know about you but no
matter how handsome a fella is, I think I’d rather have him without the end of
the world coming, thank you. Still, Aaron comes and will hopefully help her
sort out the mess, and maybe stop it from happening.

So what
are she and Aaron are facing in Passion’s
Sacred Dance?

Title: Passion's Sacred Dance

Author: Juli D. Revezzo

Series: Harshad Wars (Book 1)

Genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Publishing Date: November 22nd 2013

BLURB:

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art
gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the
attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her
savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who
protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can
prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help--even the gallery he
claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic
battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend
is true, if only they can find it in time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five
hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

The question of what had happened in
the courtyard, and memories of her dreams stabbed Stacy with a shock of grief.
She slumped in the seat. God, what was she going to do now?

“I’m sure your insurance will take
care of that damage,” Aaron said.

God love him for trying, but she
wasn’t in the mood to be cheered up. “Maybe,” she grumped.

“This isn’t just about the diner, is
it?” A strong hand smoothed down her arm. “What’s the matter?”

“I had a nightmare, about death.”

“Death?” Aaron chewed his lip.
“Everyone does now and then I suppose. Everyone dies.”

“What about dreaming of ancient
battles?” Her voice broke. “Does everyone do that?

His breathing hitched. “Ancient what?”

“Battles. My God, it was awful! It was—”
She sobbed, “Horrible.”

Cold shot through her. She needed
warmth—something the artificial heater wouldn’t give. She took his hand in
hers.

Aaron jumped but soon relaxed, his
fingers entwining with hers. After a moment, the despair dissipated, replaced
with something else—intrigue, the desire to touch him,

the craving to sample his mouth.

“I have a better idea than meeting
this Mr. McDunn. How about at the next light, you pull over or turn around or
something?”

“Stacy.”

“Okay, if you don’t want to then—”

“I didn’t say that.”

He found a spot at the side of the
road and leaned in to kiss her.

BIO:

Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a
love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of
Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths”
of the 19th century. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II:
Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine
and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out
there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of Independent
Authors Network and Magic Appreciation Tour. Passion’s Sacred Dance is her
first paranormal romance novel.

For more on these and other books by Juli visit her at:
http://julidrevezzo.com/